Underground-trolley system



-(No Mode1.)

' N. H. ANSPAOH. UNDERGROUND TROLLEY SYSTEM.

Patented Jan. 28, 1896.

ANDREW EGRAKA'M. PHOYOUTHQWASNINFNN. 0.8.

UNTTED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

NATHAN H. ANSPAOH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNDERGROUND-TROLLEY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,635, dated January 28, 1896.

Application filed August 20, 1895. Serial No. 559,882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, NATHAN H. ANSPACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Underground Trolley Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction of slotted conduit for effectually housing the service-wire of an electric-car line against the access to the wire of water and foreign matter generally which would tend to ground the current or impair the operation of the line.

While I designate my invention as an underground-trolley system, the term is intended more to distinguish the system to which my improvement relates from the trolley system in which the service-wire is overhead, and not'to necessarily limit my improve ment to a subterranean conduit, for, as will hereinafter more fully appear, I contemplate forming my conduit structure by speciallyconstructed slot-rails-along the center of a surface track, and also intend providing it as the slotted conduit along an overhead track.

To accomplish my aforesaid object I provide the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing my improvement as applied in an underground conduit, the section being taken at the line 1 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 2, a section taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a sectional view like that presented by Fig. 1, but broken and showing the relative positions of parts when subjected to the pressure of a trolley; and Fig. 4, a crosssectional view like that presented by Fig. 1, but showing a modified construction.

A is the conduit, which, for underground purposes, as it is shown in Figs. 1., 2, and 3, may be constructed in the usual manner, with massive metal yokes A A placed at suitable intervals and connected by the concavo-c0nvex sheet-metal plates A to afford a continuous conduit provided with the upper central longitudinal slot B, and O O are the trackrails, shown as supported near the opposite apart at their adjacent ends, where they are connected across the spaces by conductors E, insulating material 7' being interposed between the heads of the bars and the metal diaphragm.

F and Fare sides of flexible material, such as thin hard rubber or sheet metal, (though if the latter these sides should be insulated from the diaphragmD,) formed in longitudinal sections flanged at their lower edges, at which they are fastened to the diaphragm and forming an inner or supplemental housing,,A, by having the sections at each side fastened together near their ends to extend continuously throughout the conduit A. The sides F and F converge toward their upper ends and carry in the longitudinal space there afiorded between them a metal (preferably copper) bar G, bolted to the sides to cover the supplemental housing against the entrance into it of water, dust or other foreign matter. The bar G is formed in longitudinal sections which should abut and be spliced together at their abutting ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, and it is thus supported directly over, but close to and normally out of contact with, the webs or blades of the bars E, the sections of the bars G being also provided with upward-extending longitudinal webs or blades, which should be of the full length of the sections and rounded or beveled along their upper edges, as shown at 71. At the spaces cc between the adjacent ends of the bars E are provided springs 8 (shown as of S shape) fastening the bars G resiliently to the diaphragm D.

The bars E, which form a practically-continuous metal bar, take the place of the usual service-wire for carrying the current to be diverted by the trolley through the motor on a car, and they afford in my construction the currentconductor, which may be termed a S01VlCG-lJ11, in contradistinction to a service wire or cable.

The trolley H, (shown in Fig. 3,) which is to be understood as being connected with the motor on an electric car (not shown) supported on the rails C, bears against the bar G, which thus affords 'a presser-bar against the service-bar E, which imparts the current to the bar G and thence to the trolley, the resilient nature of the sides F F permitting the depression of the bar G, and, supplemented by the recoil of the springs s, returning to its normal position that portion or section of it which is cleared by the trolley. Thus, as will be seen, the housing A is always thoroughly sealed against the ingress of water, dust and the like, from which accordingly the servicebar E iseifectually shielded, so that there can be no loss of current or impairment of the operation of the line in my improved construction from these causes. Water or other matter which enters the conduit A through the slot B passes through openings 0 in the diaphragm into the bottom of the conduit, whence it may be led oil in a usual manner, as into a sewer.

\Vhere my improvement is to be employed on an elevated road, the conduit A may be dispensed with, leaving along the center of the track only the housing A, constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the diaphragm D supplemented by any suitable base for the sides F F carrying the bar G, and the service-bar E inclosed in the housing, and when this last-named construction is employed the trolley II is pressed against the upright blade or web of the bar G, with the same result as that already described.

For a surface electric railway, when it is not desired to have the conduit A underground, the construction may be that illustrated in Fig. 4:, wherein the conduit is formed with specially-constructed rails C and C of the cross-sectional shape represented, extending along the track between the track-rails and relatively placed to afford a slot B for the admission of the trolley into the conduit, to contact with and depress the bar G, forming the top of the housing A containing the service-bar E, and all constructed as described of the corresponding parts with relation to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The object of my inventionnamely, that of affording a cheap underground-trolley system, the construction of which will thoroughly seal the service-conductor against matter entering the conduit through the trolley-slot, and which is effectually accomplished by the construction shown and ClQSCllbGd-flnt) also be accomplished where the details set forth are departed from, as they may be by those skilled in the art to which my improvement relates. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting my improvement to these particular details of construction, except where the intention so to do is made manifest in the appended claims.

"Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an underground trolley-system,ahousing formed with resilient sides and a metal presser-bar supported between said sides and forming the cover of the housing, extending continuously throughout its length, a metal scrvice'bar formed in electrically connected sections provided with longitudinal webs extending upward into proximity with said presser-bar and springs in the spaces between the sections of the service-bar and upon which said presser-bar rests, substantially as de scribed.

2. In an underground trolley-system, the combination of a slotted conduit, a housing in the conduit formed with a diaphragm-base, resilient sides supported on the diaphragm and a metal presser-bar supported underneath the conduit-slot, for engagement by the trolley, by said sides to form the cover of the housing, and a service conductor inclosed in the housing and extending into proximity to contact with said bar by pressing the latter against said service-conductor, substantially as described.

3. In an underground trolley-system, the combination of a slotted conduit A, a housing A in the conduit formed with a diaphragmbase D, resilient sides F, F supported on the diaphragm and a metal presser-bar G sup ported between said sides and forming the cover for the housing, a metal service-bar E formed in electrically connected sections provided with longitudinal webs extending upward into proximity with said presser-ba-r, and springs .5- in the spaces between the sections of the service-bar and upon which said presser-bar rests, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

NATHAN I-I. ANSPACII.

In presence of J. N. HANSON, J. H. LEE. 

